Vail, Anna Robinson

Passed:

Age: 103

Source:

Death Notice:

Obituary Date: 1963-08-23

Information: LONG LIFE OF ANNA VAIL, 103, ENDED FRIDAY - The oldest resident of Jackson County died shortly after 10 o'clock Friday night when Anna Robinson Vail quietly sank into death at her home on Church Street in Ripley.  Mrs. Vail at the time of her death was 103 years, four months and 23 days of age.  She was one of the residents of the state honored this year for having attained, or exceeded her one hundredth birthday.  Her life had been ""hanging by a thread"" for a few days and when death came it was not a shock.  It had been expected.  The funeral service was held at the Epworth Methodist Church Monday afternoon with Rev. Paul Beal officiating and burial with the Vail undertakers in charge was in the family plot in Pine Hill Cemetery.  Mrs. Vail was the widow of the late Joseph Robert Vail who during his lifetime managed the family businesses which included the Vail Funeral Home, the Vail Hardware and Vail Furniture all of which were founded by his father Isaiah Vail back in 1844.  Her husband died on Christmas day in 1922 and management of the businesses passed to their son, Joseph Bream Vail who died on January 10, 1960.  Mrs. Vail was the daughter of Richard Robinson and Charlotte Teeter Robinson and was born in Middleport, Ohio, on March 23,1860.  She was the youngest of the Robinson's three children.  Her older sister, Mollie E. Robinson married a native of Ripley, Holly G. Armstrong on October 26, 1875.  The following year 16-year-old Anna Robinson made a visit to Ripley where she spent considerable time as the guest of her sister.  It was during one of these visits that Anna Robinson met her future husband, J. R. ""Bob"" Vail.  HIs father, Isaiah Vail was a talented cabinet maker and had founded the family funeral business by making caskets.  That small business has down through the years been expanded into three thriving establishments and ""Mam"" Vail had lived to see it all happen.  On June 20, 1883, Anna Robinson and Bob Vail were married in Pittsburgh and returned to Ripley where each was to become prominent and play leading roles in the development of the town and county.  Three children were born to this union, a daughter, Marie and two sons, Richard Cornelius and Joseph Bream.  On June 18, 1909, Marie married Claude Earl Goodwin and they had two sons, the late Robert B. Goodwin and Attorney C. Elbert Goodwin who were the only grandchildren.  Marie died on February 28, 1911.  Richard Cornelius never married and died many years ago, Joseph Bream married Tennie Carney who survives.  Of her immediate family there are only the grandson, C. Elbert Goodwin and four great-grandchildren, Judy Goodwin of Ripley and Joseph Robert, Stephen and Tommy Goodwin of Kansas City, Mo., still living.  Mrs. Vail was a descendant of an old and colorful family in the Pennsylvania section of the country.  Her maternal Grandfather Teeter died in 1865 of wounds received in the Civil War and is buried at Gettysburg.  Her Grandmother Teeter was drowned in the Johnstown flood of 1889 along with numerous of her other relatives.  Her life had spanned the most momentous century the world has ever known.  When she was born the country was torn asunder with strife over the slavery question and the Civil War was just a year away.  She was one year old when Lincoln took the oath of office as President and she was three years old when word came that her maternal grandfather had been seriously wounded at the Battle of Gettysburg.  In the years from 1860 to 1963 she had seen an old civilization fade away and an expanding age of science and outer space become a reality.